Recently gave this another try, went in with an open mind hoping to be surprised, and honestly I was impressed how bad this game is. I had my issues when it was new, but this has aged like milk.

By far the worst cast of the entire series, nothing comes close. Each character has exactly 1 gimmick that they repeat endlessly, with minimal or no character development from any of them except one, and the plot is forgettable. I know most don't play Disgaea for the plot, but it'd be nice to have at least some attempt made.

Map design is awful, likely the worst in the series, barely beating out 6 for that dubious honor. Very bland and tedious.

Mechanically it's slightly better than 3, which was the shakiest of the series mechanically, but that's not a high bar to pass. The gameplay is absolute dogwater compared to the actually good Disgaeas, and unlike 1 it doesn't have the excuse of being the first game.

Overall I would just really recommend playing any other Disgaea over this one. 1 is still the best intro (easy to get into mechanically, with a great story), while D2, 5, 6, and 7 all have their strengths.